Finger guard for smoking pipes



Patented July Z2, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT vrica.

FINGER GUARD FOR SMOKING PIPES.

Application filed March 7, 1923. Serial Nb. 623,365.

To all whom t may concern.' l

i'e it known that I, ARAM SHENHAN, ya citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Finger Guards for Smoking Pipes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for tamping a charge of tobacco in a pipe bowl, and has for its essential objects evenness of pressure on the charge, protection of the finger from heat during the tamping operation, facility of attachment and detachment of the device from the pipe bowl, facility of operation, and inexpensiveness of construction. y

To the' above ends essentially my invention consists in such parts and 1n such comi binations of parts as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification,

Figures 1 and 2 are a side and front elevation respectively of my novel guard,

Figure 3, a section on line 3--3 of Figure 1, and l Figure 4, a section of the guard on line 4-4 of Figure 2, and of a pipe upon which the guard is mounted.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

My device consists in detail of a base 6 having at its rear end a depending fiat finger 7, and at the other end spaced depending fingers 8. The three described fingers are resilient and the parts 6, 7, and 8 constitute a clamping member for detachable mounting on a pipe bowl. The flat portion 6 is adapted for resting on the edge of the bowl; the finger 7, against the exterior of the bowl, and the fingers 8, against the interior of the latter. Near its top the finger 7 has rearwardly directed integral lateral lugs 9. `IIence the parts thus far described may be cut and bent up from a blank of thin metal.

An operating member consists of-an arm Vportion 14, fast to or integral with whose free extremity is a vertical disk 15. Integral with the portion 12-are upright lateral ears V17. The parts 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17 may,

therefore. be cut and bent from a single fiat metallic blank.

The lugs 9 and ears 17 vhave respectively perfor-ations 19 and 2O to receive a pintle or pivot member 22, around which is coiled a helicalspring 24 having one arm .25 resting against the finger 7, and another arm 26 abutting against the arm portion 12. The end of the latter portion is normally held by the,` spring against the outer face of the finger 7 which forms a stop for the arm in its rearward travel. y

The operation of my guard .may be observed in kFigure 4 ywherein'v is shown the bowl 28 and a fragment 29 ofthe stem of a pipe. The fingers 7 and 8 embrace the wall of the bowl, and in full lines, the

operating arm is in normal upright posi- I tion. When it is desired to tamp a charge.

of tobacco in the bowl the operators finger is pressed against the arm to force the disk 15 the necessary distance into the bowl. After which pressure is released and the arm returns to elevated .position through the action of the spring.

It will be understood that because of the resiliency vof the depending fingers the operator may slide my device into engagement with the bowl or disengage the same from the Ylatter at wil1,so that the user may employ the device only while smoking. It will be further noted that the operators finger is protected from heatwhile depressing the charge in the bowl; and that the structure comprises a minimum of parts in` eXpensively assembled.

I claim 1. In a guard for a smoking pipe, a clamping member comprising a base, and resilient fingers depending .from the base, lateral lugs on onerof the fingers, an operating arm comprisingv an intermediate portion, a horizontally disposed lower portion, l

an upper portion disposed in the direction of the lower portion, a disk on the upper portion, ears on the lower portion, and a pintle mounted in the lugs and ears.

2. In a guard for aV smoking pipe, a clamping member comprising a base, resilient clamping fingers depending from rthe base, lateral lugs on one of the fingers, an operating arm comprising an intermediate portion, a forwardly directed lower portion adapted to abut against the lug carryingV finger, a forwardly directed upper portion,

a disk on Ythe upper portion, lateral ears on the lower portioin a` pintle in the lugs and ears, and a spring on the pintle engaging the lower portion oi the erin and said tinger for pressing said lower portion of the member and engageable at its inner end with i0 In testimony whereof I have affixed my l5 signature.

AARAB/. SHENHAN 

